Hoos for Ecuador holds vigil for earthquake victims

The student group Hoos for Ecuador held a candlelight vigil for the victims of the April 16 earthquake Sunday night in the Amphitheatre. The purpose of the vigil was to inform the University community of the tragedy.

Hoos for Ecuador was organized by students to help raise funds for those affected by the earthquake. They are working with other student groups from around the world to help Ecuadorians in need.

The funds raised by Hoos for Ecuador will be distributed by three organizations: Young Presidents’ Organization, Republica del Cacao — a chocolate company — and the Ecuadorian Red Cross.

The members of Hoos for Ecuador and members of the University community both came together to place candles in the Amphitheatre before the sun went down. After a sobering recollection of the devastation caused by the earthquake, the candles were lit after sunset.

The north-western coastal provinces of Ecuador, which are popular destinations for tourists, were primarily affected. All six of these regions were immediately placed under a state of emergency following the earthquake.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 and was classified as severe on the Mercalli intensity scale, which measures the effects of an earthquake. Nearly 7,000 buildings were destroyed and over 26,000 Ecuadorians have been displaced from their homes.

According to the National Geological Society, the earthquake began at 7:58 p.m. and emanated from a point just over a hundred miles from the capital city of Quito.

Though University students abroad have been confirmed safe, Ecuador’s Minister of Security released a statement that stated at least 4,000 people were injured. As of Saturday, the death toll had climbed to nearly 650 people. It was the deadliest earthquake Ecuador has experienced since a 1987 earthquake left an estimated 1,000 people dead.

The official death toll is not likely reflective of the actual number of people who were killed in the earthquake, as it continues to grow every day as bodies are pulled from the rubble.

“Basically each day, news gets worse,” Mateo Semerene, a second-year College student, said. “Most of the people who are dead are not believed to be found yet.”

Entire city blocks and some geographically isolated communities have been levelled. Semerene said family and friends of the members of Hoos for Ecuador have reported being unable to walk outside because the stench of the fetid corpses is too much to handle.

According to Hoos for Ecuador’s mission statement, the organization is working with multiple international organizations in order to “ensure that the funds are quickly delivered with responsibility and efficiency.”

“We’ve raised more than $2,400 in four days, but our initial goal was $10,000,” Semerene said.

Hoos for Ecuador said the money being raised will be used “to ensure affected people have enough food, water and shelter.”

While the earthquake has brought difficult times to the region, the people affected are working together, Semerene said.

“It’s brought the people [of Ecuador] together in an unprecedented way,” Semerene said.